Cooling and freezing of fish and the like



June 19,1923. 1,458,991

. J. J. PIQU l COOLING AND FREEZING 0FI FISH AND THE LIKE XNVENTOH:

/ JEANJULEN PQU:

AT ToPkNBY.

cooLING AND FREEZING of FISH AND THE LIKE Filed Maren 22. 1922 '4 sheets-sheet 2 S5 L ,E g

1Q "-11 1.1 un

IBIVEN'FORV )JEAN JULEN PQU TTORNEY I June 19, 1923.

J. J. PIQU COOLING Aun FREEZING 6F FISH Ann THE Lm:

Filed March 22, 1922 4 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTom /JEAN JULIEN PIQU.

AT TORNEY.

June 19, 1923.

J. J. PIQU COOLING AND FREEZING or msu AND THE LIKE Filed miren 22. 1922 4 sheets-sheet 4 Fig 5.

TNVENTOPL;

TTOPlNEY.

'dent of London, N. W. 3, Hampstead, England, have invented certain Patented June 19, 1923.

` UNITED vSTATI?.

JEQANJLIEN PIQU, or poNnoN, ENGLAND.

COOLING AND FBEEZING oF FISH AND THE Application meanarcn'aaisaz. ser-m1 No. 545,816.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEAN JULIEN"PIQU, a subject of the King of Bel ium, and residelaide Road,

new and useful Improvements in and Relating to the Cooling and Freezing of Fish and the like, of which the following is a specification.

freezing of fish and the like and has for its object to provide improvements in or modifications of the methods and means set forth in U. S. Patent applicationl Serial No,I

,temperature required, the cooling liquid not necessarily being a sodium chloride solution, but any suitable salt in solution including salt-petre, or it may be a solution other than brine, such as a solution of sugar.

The present invention consists in a method of cooling or freezing fish or like fo`od stus b v immersingthem in aV cooling liquid, in which they tend to fioator do not tend to sink. which consists in conveying the containers into the influence of the cooling liquid, shuflling the articles by causing them to move through the liquid while totally immersed therein by meansof rotating arms or paddles acting directly upon some of them,l

moving the containers through the liquid and removing them therefrom, the introduction to, passage through and removal from the liquid being effected by the same uni` form and continuous movement of a conveyin'gchain. i g v v The invention also consists in apparatus for cooling or freezing fish or the like including one or more receptacles which are constantly moved whilst in contact with the liquid cooling medium and within which fish arethoroughly shuled whilst immersed in the liquid cooling :medium by being rotated about a definite axis relatively to the receptacles by means of one or more rotating arms or paddles acting directly upon the fish.

The invention also consists in apparatus for the cooling or freezing of fish or the like as indicated above including receptacles withouta lid or means of .closing the feedj opening, arrangements being provided -lto prevent the articles from leaving therecepout of the cooling. liquid.'

The invention also consists inv apparatus tacles while` moving towards, through and f for the cooling or freezing of fish or the like as indicated above including automatic discharging, charging and weighing apparatus for the articles under treatment.V This invention relates to the cooling or The invention also consists in apparatus for cooling or freezing fish or the like in-r` endless conveyor. i

The invention also c or freezing apparatus-hereinafter indicated.

'sista in the im` proved constructions'of fis and like cooling .cluding a glazing tank provided with an Referringv to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings: u v

Fig. l -is a sectional view through C--D ofFig. 2. y 1 L:

.Fig. 2 is a partial plan view. Fig. "3 isa sectionall elevation through A-B of Fig. 1. l

f Fig. 4 represents a'longitudinal sectional elevation of a modification.

Fig. 5 is a sectionall. elevation through E--F of Fig. 4, and Y Fig..6 represents a modified'form of automatic charging apparatus.v

In carrying the invention into effect in -aoY one form, illustrated by way of example in Figs. 1-3, the container of the fish `has the shape of an oblongbox 1 without a lid', the bottom being a half cylinder and the straight part of the sides being a few inches longer than the radius of said half cylinder.

The section of container 1 has a -U form.

The half cylinder is made in` plain plate, the straight part of the sides in perforated.

plate and the lateral sides in plain plate,

4 or the; longitudinal and 'lateral sides of the container are made in perforated`plate. I A spindle 2 longer than the length of ythe con'- tainer is fitted in the centre ofthe half c.ir;

cular form of the lateral sides. A hollow shaft`3 is slid over spindle 2 with running fit. Shaft 3 at one end comesnup 'to near the inside of the lateral side of container 1, and passes through the other lateral si'de where aty theendof the shaft is fixed a chainwheel 4. 'A `paddle made of two or more f perforated plates 5 is fixed on hollow shaft chains 8 travel inside along two sides of the brine tank 9; some of the links of the chams are fitted as bearings 10 in which spindles 2 are lodged. The groove 7 of spindle 2 sion of the chains 8. In order to obtain the same travelling speed for the two chains, chain-wheels 14 are commanded by pairs of bevel wheels 15 fixed on shafts 16 and 18 with general command from pulley 17.v On one side inside the tank runs on endless chain 19 over chain-wheels 20 of which one is fitted in a support fixed on the side of the tank, and the other fixed on a spindle turning in a stufiing-box with command from outside by pulleyv 21. Rollers 22 with isupports fixed on frame 13 supportichains 8. Rollers 23 support chains 19. Loose rollers 28 on each end of spindle 2 support containers land chains 8 when immersed in the brine by travelling on rails 29. The containers 1 being filled about five-eighths lfull with fish and fixed on chains 8 are conveyed into the brine. When passing over chain-wheels 12 and 11 the upper part of the container described a definite curve according to which plate 24 is bent and fixed on the brine tank in order to keep the containers closed during their journey from outside the tank into the brine. The part of plate 24 which is in the brine is perforated. The paddle 5 starts revolving when chain-wheel 4 is gripped by chain 19. Owing to the difference in density of the brine and the fish the latter fioat up andare caused tofrotate in the brine while the containers 1 move with their opening down! wards from one end of the tank to the-other. The speed of chains 8 is regula/ted vaccording ito the time of immersion required for the cooling or freezing of the fish. When leaving the brine, the containers are kept close'd by plate 24; by opening the cover of bearing 10', a container 1 Vcan be swung round and the frozen fish fall on the' chute on the cover of the tank and from there into boxe's for despatch or storage.. The tank is placed in an insulated casing 27 with, in the cover. an opening Y for the -entrance of the containers and an opening Z for the lifting out of the containers. The brine inlet is distributed by pipe 25; the outlet is through pipe 26.

In carxyingthednvention into efect accordingl to a modification embodying autoof container 1 in a definite matic discharging, charging and weighing apparatus for the articles under treatment, yas illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a tank T contains the cooling liquid. This tank is placed in an insulated casing with an openingr Y in the cover for the entrance of the fish containers and an` opening X where the containers leave the brine.

rThe container ofi/the fish has the shape of an oblongbox 1a without a lid, the bottom being half a cylinder and the straight part of the sides a few inches longer than the radius Vof said half-cylinder. The sec-` tion of the container has a U form. The half-cylinder is ,made in plain plate; the straig t part of the sides is in perforated plate. The lateral sides are in plain plate. A spindle 2 longer than the length of the container is fitted in the centre of the halfcylinder form of the lateral sides. Spindle 2 turns in bearings 3a fixed on the 'latf eral sides. The bearings 3a are fitted in one of the links of the chains 6a so that the container is always in a fixed definite position respectively of the chains. A chain 9a mov- ,mg inside the tanks acts on cog wheels 7a and thus applies a rotating movement to paddle 5a fixed on spindle 2 by'arms 4a. Each end of spindle 2 has a loose roller 8a supportlng the containers 1a. VThe loose rollers run on a rail of I form.

Automatic charging of the apparatus.

Above the apparatus is fixed a box 14 in which is thrown the quantity of. .fish required for one container, this quantity filling box 14a completely. The bottom 15'a of box 14a is sloped'. The box is kept closed by a vertical side 20a which cap turn round pivots 19a.l The spindle 2 of the container 1'l moving in the direction of the arrow, buttsv against the end of lever 17, pushes said lever which turning4 round pivot 18L opens the'side 20a by meansl of rods 21a. When the spindle 2 has cleared the .lower end of lever 17a, the weight 23a fixed on the lower -part of lever 17 brings the side 20a in a closing position. A slope 16a is provided to direct the fish to the containers.

The filling of the containers is completed before point A reaches point B. In order to keep the paddle 5a iII a vertical position a guide 24 is provided acting in a similar A way to the guide 10a described further.

Aatomatc empyz'rtg of the frozen contents.

Where the fish containers leave' the brine the tank is shaped partly cylindrical foli lowed by a slope 25a in order to keep the containers closed when leaving the tank.` The vcontainers move overthe slope 25s with their straight sides vertical `to that slope and their opening downwards.

The sloping surface 25" joins a sloping surface 12a at a point above the brine level y' and thus thev frozen, :articles-fallout. of the containers on chute 12, sliding thence into boxes for packing, into aglazing tank, or

,being collected in any convenient manner.

But because paddle 5 stops revolving as soon as the containers-move obliquely on to the slope 25a (cog-wheel Zabeing no longer incontact. with chain 9) it may happen that the paddle 5 is in such a' position'that it would retain part of the .frozen articles. Tor empty the containers completely with; out any handling the paddle ought toremain 1n 'af position vertical to slope 25a.

This is obtained by` a pivot l1a fixed in the cog-wheel 7B. Pivot 11a is caught by guide l()a of which the beginning has a curved shape which thus directs the pivot 11-nr and brings paddle 5a in the required vertical ible band is `formed 'to carry the fish `bv i`ron rods; Compartments are formed with .l partitions preferably in perforated plate or Cil position.

j The glazing tank is filled with fresh water lwhich may be renewed gradually, the water" being-generally cooled to near the freezing point sojthatwhen the frozen fish has been immersedftherein for a very short -time the brine is washedv ofi' and upon removal of the fish the'adhering film of water is -immediately frozen and the. fish thus covered 1 completely with a layer of ice'called glaze which prevents the fish from drying out vand losing weight during storage.

The present arrangement shows a glazing tank 'utof which the fish is removed in a continuous manner without handling in the following way.

Two endless chains 22a move on each side of tank- 13a and carry the fish through the` water and out of it, the glazed fish being -discharged at roller 26a from whence they fall on a chute 27a and into boxes 28a vfor storage or despatch. A continuous and flexioining the links of the tw`o chains with wire netting 29a fixed vertically tothe chains.

A modified form of charging apparatus Viis''srepresented in Fig. 6.

sult by filling each container automatically -with the same weight of fish. According toFig. 6 the fishis thrown in abox 30I whichrcan turn round pivot '3;1- notlfixed in the centre of gravity of the box/A balancing .weight 32a fixed on l lever 33'* and pivoting ron axle 34:Y keeps the container- 30l in its upper position against edge 35a of the. opening in the charging floor. when the container :ioEl is filled with the required .weight of fish it moves down- -wards with'the pivots 31a sliding in guides 36 which then act as supports-and bearings. The chain 6a carrying the containers la' act on a cog-wheel 37a fixed on a spindle on which is fixed aJ roller 38va which is partly provided with. teeth. The circumference measured at the pitch diameter of cog-wheel 37a is the same length as the distance from centre to centre between eacli fish container. A'straight rod 39a can move up and downwards in guides 40a and is provided over and 42a. T lie developed length of the teeth a certain part of its length with teeth 41a on rollerv 38a is'the same asthe length of l the toothed part of 42a. On the pivot '31a and outside the container 30a is fixed a cogwheel 43a whose teeth act onnthe toothed part 41a. movement to cog-'wheel '37a which moye- Iment is transmitted into a straight vertical,

movement of rod 39a which by the. toothed part of 4Practing-upon cog-wheel 43a implies a. turning movement to the container aof which the contents fall int-o chute the rod 39a and the empty container 30.*' swings itself Around into its original position 'while turning round .pivot 31a placed out of the centre of gravity.. This turning' movement sided xbv the weight 32 brings therod 39 into its initial position; As the circumference of cog-wheel 37a corresponds tol the distance between two containers. the

The last tooth of 38a' has then released The chain 6? impliesI rotating tipping over ofthe charging box 30El takes l place each time a container 1 a passes under.- neath the gutter 44.

The drawing shows the position of the..

fish'in the charging apparatus. vin some of the containers. lio-wthe'fish is' discharged into the glazing vtankand carried out of same;

The forms of theA linvention described above. are given by way of, examples only, and modifications may'be made.

Having now fully described my said inbyLettcrs Patent, is:

1. Inan apparatus for cooling or freezing vention. what I claim and desire to secure and like foodstuffs, the combinationv with a receptacle-into which the` fish may.

be tumbled, said receptacle having-the 'shape of? an oblong box without a lid Vand being of U-section, of a paddle extending substantially the length of the receptacle and fitting more or less "closely against the semi-cylindrical-si'des thereof, means forV rotating said paddles, curvedv blades arranged radially on saidpaddles, a conveying chain coopeerating with said receptacle, and means for alternately keeping/the receptacle in a fixed l position on-said .conveying chain and periv A mitting rotational freedom between the receptacle and said chain, substantially as set forth.

,y 2. n an apparatus for cooling or freezing fish and like. foodstuifs,'the combination with a. plurality of receptacles into, which the fish may be tumbled, said receptacles being formed of oblong boxes of U-shaped cross section without a lid, means for preventingthe contents yfrom leaving the open receptacles in operation, of paddles extending substantially the length of the `receptacles and fitting more or less closely against the semi-cylindrical sides thereof, means for rotating said paddles, curved blades arranged radially on said paddles, a conveying chain cooperating with said receptacles, and means for alternately. keeping the receptacles nin a fixed position on said conveying chain and permitting rotational freedom between the receptacles and said chain, substantially as set forth.

3. in an apparatus for cooling or freezing fish and like foodstuffs, the combination With a plurality of oblong receptacles of U- shaped cross section Without a lid, means for preventing the contents from leaving the open receptacles in operation, rotatable devices Within said receptacles and extending substantially the length thereof, and means for rotating'said devices, of a conveying chain cooperating with said receptacles, a hopper arrangedabove the receptacles to fill the same successively with the, required quantity of fish and the like, and means operated'v by the conveying chain to? effect the charging of the receptacle moved under said hopper, substantially as set forth.

4. ln an apparatus for cooling or freezing fish and like foodstuffs, the combination with a plurality of oblong receptacles of U- shaped cross section Without a lid, means `for preventing the contents from leaving means for rotating said devices, of a conveying chain cooperating wlth said receptacles, a hopper arranged above the receptacles to fill the saine successively with the required quantity of fish andthe like, means operated bythe conveying chain to effect the charging of the receptacle moved under said hopper, and means for indicating that the exact Weightof fish and the like will be fed into each receptacle, substantially as set forth. 1

5. In an apparatus for cooling or freezing fish and the like, the combination With a tank containing cooling brine and the like, a plurality of receptacles for fish and the like, an endless chain for conveying said receptacles through said cooling tank, means for successively and automatically charging said receptacles with a predetermined quantity of fish and the like, and means for automatically emptying said receptacles when they leave the cooling tank, of a glazing tank arranged to receive the frozen contents from said receptacles, and means for conveying said contents continuously through said glazing tank and out therefrom, substantially as set forth.

6. ln an apparatus for cooling or freezing fish and the like, the combination with a tank containing brine and the like, a plurality of receptacles for fish and the like, an endless chain for conveying said receptacles through said cooling tank, rotatable means Within each receptacle, means for successively and automatically charging each receptacle with a predetermined quantity of fish and the like, and means for automatically emptying said receptacles when they leave the cooling tank, of a glazing tank arranged to receive the frozen contents from said receptacles, and an endless conveyer for carrying 'said contents through the glazing tank and out therefrom and delivering the same into boxes and the like for despatch or storage, substantially' as set forth. JEAN JULlEN PQU 

